How Other People React to My Diabetes – Part 3

This is the third in a series of how people react to my diabetes. The good, the bad, and the neutral (not ugly) from strangers and friends. There’s lessons to learn and some silver linings. If you haven’t already, please check out Part 1 and Part 2.

Classmate fainting at the sight of my blood

Let’s go back to 1995, I’m in first grade and am six or seven years old. When I have to check my blood sugar I normally go to the nurse’s office, but one time I checked my blood sugar in the classroom. When I did one of my fellow classmates fainted. He can’t stand the sight of blood and if he sees it, he passes out. I didn’t know this about him, and I don’t know if my teacher did either. I didn’t see him pass out and wasn’t told about it until after the fact. 

It’s something that I can understand now, why he wouldn’t want to share this with anyone especially at that young age. At least now I knew that I couldn’t check my blood sugar around him, and probably didn’t check my sugar levels in the classroom after that.

My brother doesn’t like needles, but only when they were going into him. He didn’t have a problem watching me get injected or poked. Someone being afraid of blood was foreign to me. I deal with blood multiple times a day every day of my life. It’s just something that had to happen. Needless to say, I learned a lot that day and how everyone is different and we shouldn’t judge anyone or assume we know their story. The not judging people was something I learned as I grew up, I probably didn’t actually realize that when I was in first grade.

Hiding my Injections from a Friend

I have a friend and old roommate who easily passes out at the sight of blood and needles, and sometimes even at the mention of a bloody physical injury. At first, I was worried that living together might not be safe. But she assured me that if something happened and I needed her help with my diabetes, she would help. She would probably pass out after helping me, but she would be able to help me first.

Luckily the whole time we lived together and the whole time we’ve been friends (we’re still friends) she hasn’t had to save me/help me with my diabetes in a way that would make her uncomfortable and pass out. 

I do turn away when I inject myself when I’m around her so she doesn’t have to see it. And she knows that when I pull out my insulin bag that she should turn away. It’s something we don’t even talk about anymore. We both know what we’re doing and how to respond so that both of us are happy and healthy and no one passes out.

Bonding over CGMs in a Tire Store

Unfortunately for me, it was time to buy some new tires. I knew this was coming and was dreading this day. There was a lot of groaning and sighing on my part. (I definitely wasn’t too dramatic, just the right amount of dramatic.) The man who was helping me eventually asked me if I was wearing a Dexcom.

I stood there silent for a second. I wasn’t expecting someone who was trying to upsell me tires to ask about a small device on my arm. A smile formed on my face and my mood changed. With new excitement in my voice, I told him that I didn’t have a Dexcom but had a Freestyle. This tire salesman had a Dexcom.

We bonded over continuous glucose monitors, what we liked about them, and what we didn’t. I explained why I didn’t like insulin pumps and why I prefer insulin pens. He prefers and uses an insulin pump.

After all of our diabetes talk we got back to why I was there… tires. Lucky for me he stopped trying to upsell me and changed his tone and seemed to be more honest. The silver linings of finding fellow diabetics in the wild, you don’t get pressured to get the most expensive tires!

Getting Weird Looks from Strangers

One of the most common reactions that I get from people, especially in the 1990s and 2000s was people looking at me weird when I would inject myself. This would also happen when I would check my blood sugar, but it happened more often when I injected myself in public.

People wouldn’t say anything to me, but it was clear they were looking at me with judgy eyes.  

I don’t remember this ever getting to me. I was pretty confident as a child and knew that I had to take care of my diabetes, regardless of what others thought. As I grew up, I learned that a lot of these looks were based on ignorance of the situation. It wasn’t like I wanted to be diabetic and I didn’t want to prick my finger or inject myself. These people just didn’t understand why I was doing what I was doing. 

The Best and Most Common Reaction, is No Reaction at All

My whole life, the most common reaction to me injecting myself, checking my blood sugar number, and doing anything else diabetes, is no reaction at all. Most of the time this is my favorite reaction. It helps me feel like diabetes is normal and doesn’t warrant a reaction.